Base AWD 4-Dr Sport Utility V6

2013 acura mdx Reviews and News

2013 Acura MDX

By
Automobile Magazine
- 06/07/2013

New For 2013

No revisions are in store for the 2013 Acura MDX, although Acura did revise interior and exterior color combinations for 2012.

Overview

The all-new, third-generation Acura MDX debuted at the New York auto show and should make its way to dealers later this summer or early fall but, apart from softer sheetmetal, it isn’t a huge departure from the 2013 MDX presently available on dealer lots. Honestly, this is a good thing, as the 2013 MDX packs a little bit of everything -- comfort, performance, style, and utility -- into a well-sorted package. The market is awash in premium three-row crossovers and SUVs, but few of them perform quite as well as the MDX. It’s not easy to make a 4500-pound machine handle like a mid-size sedan, but a few technological twists make such a feat possible. Acura’s ubiquitous torque-shifting Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) aids in cornering, and the available adaptive damper system helps iron out body roll on twisty roads. The 3.7-liter V-6 engine provides sufficient power, and the six-speed automatic transmission responds quickly to throttle inputs. The soon-to-be-discontinued ZDX crossover might feel (and look) somewhat sportier, but the MDX has several advantages over its fastback sibling. With room for seven, loads of usable cargo space, a 5000-pound tow rating, and the agility of a vehicle half its size, the 2013 MDX is a far more well-rounded option.

Safety

Front, side, and side curtain air bags; ABS; and traction and stability control are standard. Rear parking sensors and a rearview camera are included in the technology package. Blind-spot detection, radar-based cruise control, and a collision-mitigating automatic braking system are part of the advance package.

You'll like:

Sensible yet sporty

All-wheel drive

Attractive

Comfortable interior

You won't like:

Thirst for premium fuel

Third row is a tight squeeze

Key Competitors For The 2013 Acura MDX

Acura may have been the first Japanese upscale brand sold in the U.S., but there's no question who the current market leader is in terms of status, reputation and sales volume. Lexus methodically entered the luxury arena several years after Acura with the game-changing LS400 and Camry-based ES250, and hasn't looked back since. Toyota's upscale brand has dominated luxury sales for much of the last decade.

Acura is very proud to reveal the new MDX is 16 percent more aerodynamically efficient than the model it replaces. Much of this improvement comes from a new front-end treatment; some of it comes from the car's 1.5-inch-lower sloping roofline. While the MDX is slicker than the model it replaces when the winds kick up, we'd hazard that the 2014 MDX is just as slick as it ever was.

Acura will pull the wraps off a concept version of the new 2014 MDX crossover next month at the Detroit auto show. This artsy rendering is our first hint at the styling of the concept car, although it's worth noting that Acura "concept" vehicles tend to be almost identical to the eventual production models.

The next-generation Acura MDX is on the way, and Acura is wasting no time testing the luxury crossover before it debuts in 2013. The new MDX has been spotted before, but this time the seven-passenger SUV is wearing less camo, giving us a slightly better preview of the vehicle's sheetmetal.

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